This archive of MIS 589 Week 3 dq1 – Media Access Control comprehends:

As you may have discovered by reading your textbook, there are two sub-layers that operate at the data link layer. The media access control (MAC) sub-layer controls the hardware, so let’s focus on that aspect. The two approaches to media access control are controlled and contention access. What are some differences in these approaches? When would one access control be a better option than the other?